Three bowl barrows 750m south east of Westmeston Farm, forming part of Western Brow round barrow cemetery

A Scheduled Monument in Streat, East Sussex

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Coordinates

Latitude: 50.8996 / 50°53'58"N

Longitude: -0.0923 / 0°5'32"W

OS Eastings: 534242.885941

OS Northings: 112853.832049

OS Grid: TQ342128

Mapcode National: GBR KPK.FH1

Mapcode Global: FRA B6PQ.PT8

Entry Name: Three bowl barrows 750m south east of Westmeston Farm, forming part of Western Brow round barrow cemetery

Scheduled Date: 10 July 1996

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1014636

English Heritage Legacy ID: 27054

County: East Sussex

Civil Parish: Streat

Traditional County: Sussex

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): East Sussex

Church of England Parish: Ditchling, Streat and Westmeston

Church of England Diocese: Chichester

Details

The monument includes a group of three bowl barrows forming part of Western
Brow prehistoric linear round barrow cemetery, which runs from west to east
along a ridge of the Sussex Downs. The largest barrow lies to the south west
and has a circular mound c.10m in diameter and c.0.5m high, surrounded by a
ditch from which material used to construct the barrow was excavated. This has
become infilled over the years, but survives as a buried feature c.2m wide.
Lying c.1m to the north is the smallest barrow of the group which has a
circular mound c.5m in diameter and c.0.3m high, surrounded by a buried quarry
ditch c.2m wide. The third barrow lies c.10m to the south east and has a mound
which has been partly disturbed and bisected by the South Downs Way, a long
distance footpath running along the ridge at this point. The originally
circular mound now has the appearance of a north-south aligned figure-of-eight
measuring c.10m by c.7m, surviving to a height of c.0.4m. It will be
associated with a buried quarry ditch c.2m wide.

MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features,
considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Round barrow cemeteries date to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). They comprise
closely-spaced groups of up to 30 round barrows - rubble or earthen mounds
covering single or multiple burials. Most cemeteries developed over a
considerable period of time, often many centuries, and in some cases acted as
a focus for burials as late as the early medieval period. They exhibit
considerable diversity of burial rite, plan and form, frequently including
several different types of round barrow, occasionally associated with earlier
long barrows. Where large scale investigation has been undertaken around them,
contemporary or later "flat" burials between the barrow mounds have often been
revealed. Round barrow cemeteries occur across most of lowland Britain, with a
marked concentration in Wessex. In some cases, they are clustered around other
important contemporary monuments such as henges. Often occupying prominent
locations, they are a major historic element in the modern landscape, whilst
their diversity and their longevity as a monument type provide important
information on the variety of beliefs and social organisation amongst early
prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period
and a substantial proportion of surviving or partly-surviving examples are
considered worthy of protection.

Bowl barrows are the most numerous form of round barrow and date from the Late
Neolithic period to the Late Bronze Age. Most examples were constructed in the
period 2400-1500 BC. They occur across most of lowland Britain and, although
superficially similar in appearance, exhibit regional variations of form and a
diversity of burial practices.
The three bowl barrows 750m south east of Westmeston Farm on Western Brow
survive comparatively well and, despite some footpath erosion, will contain
archaeological and environmental evidence relating to the period in which they
were constructed and used.

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